Former Vice Chancellor and Economic Minister Robert Habeck of the environmentalist Green Party announced Monday he would be resigning from Germany's lower house of parliament, the Bundestag.

"On Monday, I informed the Bundestag Presidium that I will be resigning my seat in the Bundestag on September 1," Habeck told Germany's Die Tageszeitung newspaper.

The party leaders of the Greens, Franziska Brantner and Felix Banaszak, said they regretted Habeck's decision. 

A tumultuous few years

Habeck — who had served as former Chancellor Olaf Scholz's deputy in the previous coalition government — became the Greens' chancellor candidate following the collapse of the so-called "traffic light" coalition.

The "traffic light" coalition from December 2021 to November 2024 had consisted of the Greens, the center-left Social Democrats (SPD) and the business-focused Free Democrats (FDP). The coalition fell apart when the FDP withdrew in November, prompting a snap election in February of this year.

Habeck's Greens secured just 11.6% of the vote in the February snap election, leaving the party consigned to the opposition benches. 

Habeck had wanted to continue fighting for climate protection, economic reforms and for large state subsidies, but he found himself at odds with the left wing of his party, which battled to accept his support for stricter asylum and immigration rules.

During his time in the coalition, Habeck had guided Germany through the energy crisis in 2022 and massively accelerated the energy transition. Russia's invasion of Ukraine forced Germany to wean itself off Russian gas, with Habeck tasked with finding other sources of energy, such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Qatar.  

Habeck had championed Germany's Building Energy Act, which requires new heating systems to use at least 65% renewable energy.

The law, however, proved contentious domestically and faced resistance from parts of industry and opposition politicians concerned about costs and implementation.

What's next for Habeck?

"I will be researching, teaching and learning at various foreign research and educational institutions over the next year," Habeck said of his next step.

"One is the Danish Institute for International Studies in Copenhagen. Another is Berkeley. But there will be others with whom I will be collaborating as well," Habeck explained.

Habeck framed his departure from German politics as "a broadening of horizons, a change of perspective."

Edited by: Wesley Dockery